On Tuesday, August 19, 2025, President Donald Trump set off a political firestorm by declaring both himself and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu "war heroes" during a wide-ranging interview on The Mark Levin Show. The comments, made in the wake of a series of dramatic military actions in the Middle East, have drawn intense scrutiny—not only for their self-congratulatory tone, but also for the broader context of ongoing war crimes allegations and the humanitarian catastrophe unfolding in Gaza.
Trump’s remarks came as he lavished praise on his longtime ally Netanyahu. “He’s a good man. He’s in there fighting. He’s fighting. You know, they’re trying to put him in jail on top of everything else. How about that? He’s a war hero, because we work together. He’s a war hero. I guess I am, too,” Trump told Levin, as reported by Nexstar Media and several international outlets. The former president, who has never served in the military, appeared to be referencing the U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities earlier in the summer—a campaign he claimed set back Tehran’s nuclear program by years.
Netanyahu, however, is not universally viewed as a hero. In fact, he is currently facing an arrest warrant from the International Criminal Court (ICC), which in November 2024 accused him and former Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant of war crimes and crimes against humanity for their conduct during the ongoing conflict in Gaza. As noted by Al Jazeera and other media, Netanyahu is also the first sitting Israeli leader to face criminal proceedings in his own country, having been on trial for corruption since 2020.
Trump’s comments glossed over these controversies, instead focusing on the military operations themselves. In June 2025, Israel launched a series of airstrikes against Iranian nuclear sites in Natanz and Isfahan, reportedly killing senior military officials and several nuclear scientists. Days later, on June 22, U.S. B-2 bombers carried out what was dubbed Operation Midnight Hammer, dropping 30,000-pound “bunker buster” bombs on Iran’s Fordo nuclear facility, which is buried deep under a mountain. Trump described the operation as “so perfect, which was a total of, you know, just an obliteration,” according to Nexstar Media.
While Trump claimed that these strikes had wiped out Iran’s nuclear capabilities, the Pentagon was more cautious, initially assessing that the damage would set back Iran’s program by only a few months. Still, Trump rewarded the B-2 pilots by inviting them to the Oval Office for the Fourth of July holiday, a detail confirmed by multiple outlets.
Iran, for its part, has insisted that its nuclear program is strictly for civilian purposes. Experts cited by The New York Times and other sources note that while the strikes did significant damage, Tehran could potentially rebuild enrichment operations at undisclosed sites. Iran’s Tasnim news agency dismissed Trump’s claims as “incoherent.”
The U.S. president also took credit for brokering a cease-fire that ended nearly two weeks of strikes between Israel and Iran, and for resolving other international conflicts. “I’ve settled six wars, and we did Iran, and I wiped out their total nuclear capability, which they would have used against Israel in two seconds if they had the chance,” Trump asserted in his interview with Levin.
Yet, the wider context is far more sobering. Since October 7, 2023, Israel, with U.S. support, has waged what Palestinians and international legal experts describe as genocide in Gaza. According to Al Jazeera, the campaign has resulted in more than 62,000 deaths, 156,000 wounded, over 10,000 missing, and the displacement of hundreds of thousands. The United Nations and other humanitarian agencies have reported widespread famine and allegations of torture and abuse of incarcerated Palestinians.
In the same week as Trump’s interview, Israeli Defense Minister Yisrael Katz and Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir approved plans to occupy Gaza City, accelerating the call-up of 60,000 reservists and extending another 20,000 soldiers’ service by 40 days. According to Israel’s Channel 12, the army is preparing for a major escalation, with reinforcements being sent to northern Gaza and strategic discussions underway at the highest levels of the Israeli military and intelligence community.
Netanyahu’s government faces mounting legal challenges on multiple fronts. In addition to the ICC’s arrest warrant, Israel is also defending itself against a genocide case at the International Court of Justice. The ICC’s November 2024 warrants for Netanyahu and Gallant allege that their actions in Gaza—including mass killings, forced displacement, destruction of infrastructure, and the deliberate infliction of starvation—constitute crimes against humanity. The Biden administration, in a move reflecting the deep divisions within the international community, responded by imposing sanctions on four ICC judges in June 2025.
Trump’s own relationship with Netanyahu has been anything but straightforward. Earlier in August 2025, the two leaders reportedly engaged in a heated phone call, with Netanyahu denying reports of starvation in Gaza—a claim widely contradicted by humanitarian organizations. Yet, less than a month later, Trump was once again publicly praising his Israeli counterpart and seeking to claim credit for the military actions undertaken.
During the interview, Trump also sought to highlight his role in the return of hostages taken by Hamas during the October 7, 2023, attacks on Israel. “I’m the one that got all the hostages back,” he said, referencing the release of around 30 hostages during a cease-fire that began just before his inauguration in January, as well as another captive freed in May ahead of his visit to the Middle East. These releases followed the earlier freeing of 105 hostages during a cease-fire under President Joseph R. Biden Jr.
As the humanitarian crisis in Gaza worsens and legal proceedings against Netanyahu intensify, Trump’s latest remarks have sparked fierce debate. Supporters argue that the joint U.S.-Israeli operations have delivered a significant blow to Iran’s nuclear ambitions and demonstrated strong leadership in the face of regional threats. Critics, however, see Trump’s self-aggrandizing language as both tone-deaf and dangerous, especially given the ongoing suffering of civilians and the unresolved allegations of war crimes.
The controversy underscores the deep divisions—both within the United States and internationally—over the conduct of the war in Gaza, the legality and morality of recent military actions, and the broader question of accountability for leaders accused of grave violations of international law. With the conflict showing no signs of abating, and the humanitarian toll mounting by the day, the world’s attention remains fixed on the actions—and words—of those at the center of power.
As the dust settles from this latest round of interviews and military maneuvers, the fates of Gaza, Israel, Iran, and the broader region hang in the balance, shaped by decisions made in distant capitals and by leaders eager to claim the mantle of heroism—however contested that label may be.
